Xander

by Vivienne Savage

  The corporal stared at him. “I’m dismissed?”

  “Yeah. Go on, get out of here. I didn’t see a thing. Everyone was gone when I arrived.”

  After Corporal Speirs was long out of sight, Xander tugged Etherington’s booted foot and freed him from the greasy mire. Once he’d set his feet to solid ground, the younger officer spit out the mouthpiece to the oxygen line and wiped a lump of mashed potato and gravy from his face. Partially decomposed food and fresh compost offerings clung to his uniform and stuck in his hair.

  “Christ, about time. Thank you, Comman—”

  “You’re out of regulation there, Lieutenant.”

  “What? You can’t possibly be serious.”

  “I’m very serious. Your uniform looks like shit. Your boots aren’t shined.”

  Etherington gaped, like a fish out of water. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound emerged.

  “Well?” Xander crossed his arms over his chest.

  “A group of enlisted assholes tossed me in the bin, and you’re mad about my uniform?”

  “Your situational awareness must be shit for a group of enlisted men to get the better of you.”

  Etherington flushed red, fury in his eyes. “Be careful, Commander, and choose your next words wisely. My father will hear about this.”

  “Hear what? That you were ganked while an enlisted girl slobbed your knob? Ah, yes, that’s precisely what I’d want my father to know.”

  Etherington’s face went beet red. “I was assaulted!”

  “Excuses. I didn’t witness an assault.”

  “I—”

  Xander arched a brow and Etherington fell silent, showing the first signs of good judgement.

  “Shall I add insubordination to the report to your department head? Now get out of here and clean yourself up. You’re a disgrace to the uniform looking like that.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  After the soiled lieutenant was out of sight, Xander exhaled a relieved sigh. “Jem, delete all data pertaining to this incident.” He had lucked out; a smarter officer would have demanded Jem to replay the event.

  “I cannot do that, Xander.”

  “Can’t or won’t? Use your judgment in this instance, Jem. From what you’ve observed aboard this ship, would you say that the lieutenant deserved his punishment?” No one deserved humiliation on a daily basis, and maybe now that Etherington had had a taste of his own medicine, he wouldn’t be so quick to abuse his subordinates.

  The program remained silent for a moment. Her final answer brought a grin to his face. “I am able to perform a security upgrade at the risk of losing pertinent data related to the last half hour in the bio-farm.”

  “Please do.”

  Chuckling, Xander resumed his mission and took the lift to the bridge, carrying with him the hope to bribe the ship’s commanding officer for a small and insignificant favor.

  “Do you have a moment, Ethan?” He decided to keep the news of Etherington’s humiliation to himself, wary of bringing trouble on the heads of the participating servicemen and women.

  Ethan glanced away from his console and groaned when Xander presented him with the chapple. “Are you finally deciding to use our friendship to your advantage?”

  “Apt assumption to make. Yes. Here’s your tea. I made it just for you. Milk and honey, as you like it.” Xander set the hot mug in the cozy armchair’s cup holder.

  “You never ask anything, so tell me, what is it that you want?” Ethan warily accepted his bribes.

  “I have a friend out in this sector,” Xander promptly said. “Doctor Mathias Campbell retired from the Navy last year. He’s a good man and he’s the only board licensed physician on his planet.”

  “The planet?” Ethan repeated.

  “Kantarn has three colonies within a hundred miles of one another. One is practically a city now, or so I’m told. The council is planning to apply to New Cambridge in hopes of opening a doctoral college with his help. He’s also the man who helped me with the research for my theory on neurocybernetics.”

  “All right. This’ll delay our arrival to Elora by a fortnight, but we can swing it. Navigator Agosti, set our coordinates to Kantarn.”

  “Aye aye, Commodore.”

  “Thanks, mate. I appreciate it. I’ve tried contacting him by message twice this week, and…”

  “No response?”

  “Nothing,” Xander replied.

  “We’ll be there in five days. Tell Kruger I said hello. Brilliant choice by the way, mate.”

  Xander grinned at him. “Of course I will. We enjoyed tea together, so I won’t be seeing her again until tomorrow. I plan to return to the medical bay to resume reading the medical histories on the psychics who were taken. There’s something odd about them that I want to evaluate further, but I just can’t make it click.”

  “Keep me posted.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Jemison’s bio-farm remained open 24 hours a day, all 365 days of the standard galactic year. While its primary purpose provided nutritious food to the ship’s crew, the ship’s civilian botanist had developed one additional perk to the system—Zen Time.

  Each member of the crew received two hours of private time per season. Some pooled their hours for group yoga classes or friendly cookouts, but most people spent the personal time for private picnics and dates with a loved one.

  When she’d seen a cancellation on the schedule, it hadn’t been difficult to convince Xander to go halfsies with her on the two-hour slot. And he looked so damned good in his jeans and fitted t-shirt, the latter stretched over his defined muscles. Ever since jeans had cycled back into fashion again, the ladies of the Jemison had counted themselves fortunate, because nothing else in the galaxy seemed to showcase a tight male ass the way denim could.

  “Did you bring me out here to snog in the trees?”

  Thandie laughed and leaned her cheek against his arm. “Well, we can kiss if you want, but I came out here for some sunshine and delicious food since Elora has been put off for a bit.”

  “Sorry about that. Kind of my fault.”

  “I forgive you, but only if you help me fill a basket.” Thandie tugged him down a path. They plucked a bounty of blackberries and raspberries in one basket, then packed the second with fresh strawberries, always eating as many as they picked.

  “Are we going to eat all of this, or do you intend to drag me into the lounge to bake a pie, too?” he griped.

  “Half goes to Una for the galleys, and I was going to greedily hoard the rest. Why? Do you bake?”

  “I’ve burned a pie or two in my time. My cakes are better.”

  “You bake cakes?”

  “With real buttercream frosting.”

  “Obviously we need a kitchen date next time.”

  “Ha. If I can’t talk one of the chefs out of a couple of steaks in the mess, I’ll make a pick-up at our next port and cook you dinner. I’m glad you pulled me in here… thanks for that.”

  “After all the work you’ve been doing, I thought a break would be nice.”

  “I know, and I appreciate it. It’s just that I’m worried. The more we learn about all these abductions, the more disturbing the pattern becomes. Cyborgs, psychics, and kids.”

  Thandie raised a brow. “How has your investigation been going?

  “Awful. I notified Mathias that I’d like his opinion on a theory I’ve developed about the recent abductions, and he hasn’t uttered a word. There are no reports about Kantarn going under fire from pirates, so I can’t fathom any justification for his failure to respond. Something must have happened.”

  “Could he be busy? I mean, you get real focused on your work sometimes. I figured it was just a doctor thing. Or maybe an officer thing. Lopez says Lieutenant Shahid is always forgetting dates.”

  He shook his head. “If it were only a matter of days, I could buy that, but I’ve been trying to reach him for weeks. There’s also a high concentration of abandoned colonies near Kantar
n. Doubtful that’s a coincidence, either. If pirates aren’t already assessing their worth, they will be soon. I’m afraid we’ll arrive to find the entire colony in shambles or an attack in progress.”

  Thandie attempted to soothe his concerns. “United Command would have reported that when the Jemison altered her course for Kantarn.”

  Xander sighed. “You’re right.”

  “We’ll get it solved, but for now we have two hours alone. You’re supposed to relax during Zen Time.”

  “I am relaxed. It’s difficult to feel anything but relaxed when I’m with you. These past few weeks have meant more to me than you can ever know, hon.”

  They spread out a blanket on an open patch of clover and grass and settled down with their basket. Thandie straddled his lap and wrapped both arms around his neck before peppering his jaw with kisses. “No more business talk or I’ll be forced to distract you.”

  He leaned back on one palm and raised an incredulous brow. “Yeah? And how are you going to do that?”

  Thandie heard the challenge in his voice, a practical dare for her to do something—anything ballsy enough to distract him from the woes of his investigative search and worry for a friend. Impulsively, she unfastened the top two buttons of her blouse and tugged her bra down until both breasts spilled out into the cool, fan-generated breeze designed to simulate an autumn afternoon on Albion.

  Xander quieted, thoroughly distracted by her tits.

  Success.

  The tips beaded tight, sensitive to the open air. With him fully captivated by her breasts, she unfastened the remaining buttons and shrugged out of it, bra following.

  “Distracted yet?”

  He circled his thumb over her left nipple then played with the right, stroking, rubbing, and tweaking both until they were as hard as pebbles between his fingers. “Maybe. Not sure. You may have to remove more things.”

  Removing her skirt came next, leaving her in only sheer black lace panties.

  Xander made a low growl that resonated through his chest. “You have no idea how much I want you right now.”

  “I think I do.” She stroked her hand over the hard bulge in his pants. “And I want you just as much. I just…”

  “You don’t have to take them both. When you’re ready, that is.”

  “Wouldn’t that be awkward for you?”

  He shook his head. “No, not really. To be perfectly honest with you I’ve never… I’ve never actually had the opportunity to use both at once. Human bodies aren’t the same as the Lexar. Their women are kinda, uh, designed to match.”

  Thandie leaned back to look at him. “Really?”

  “A set to match their twin dicks.”

  She tugged his belt. “Take them out.”

  “What? Now?”

  “Why not? We’re alone and no one is going to bother us for at least another hour.” She followed his jawline until she reached his ear and nibbled. “Or is an hour not enough?”

  Xander loosened his belt so fast she giggled. “It’s definitely enough to get a damned start.”

  Then her heart leapt in her throat a little once he slid both semi-hard cocks out. She touched the one on top and curled her fingers around it, smoothing up and down with a few testing strokes. “Promises, promises.”

  Her gentle touches and teasing kisses transitioned into something more. Before she knew it, they’d both stripped down and sprawled across the blanket with their arms and legs entwined.

  Gentle, explorative kisses became deep and needy. She stroked his dicks until both were hard as marble in her hands, but it wasn’t enough. The ache building between her thighs demanded more than his fingers and tongue.

  “Fuck. I didn’t bring—I didn’t realize we’d need—”

  Thandie touched her index finger to his lips. “I get yearly shots in medical. Do you trust me?”

  He nuzzled her bare breasts, then skimmed his lips against the tip of one plump mound, trembling with barely contained need. “I’ve seen your records. I know you’re clean.”

  “If you trust me, I trust you.”

  He answered by grazing one nipple with his teeth, sending ripples of sensation throbbing in her core. She squirmed and rubbed against the hard cock settled between her thighs, finding the ideal angle to stimulate and tease her clit until she was dying to know the feel of him.

  He groaned and guided her movement, one of her cheeks in each of his huge palms, until they were both wet with each other, her slickness over his top shaft, the tip of both cocks glossy when she glanced down. She sighed and trailed her fingers through his hair.

  “How should we…?”

  Xander twisted and tucked her beneath him on the blanket, sprawling her out like a banquet. Then, shamelessly, he spread her thighs obscenely wide. For a moment, he did nothing more than look at her, his gaze roaming over her body. The raw desire she saw shimmering there made her feel beautiful. Powerful. Like he was lost in her spell.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispered.

  How did she respond to that? Without words, she reached out for him. Xander bowed down over her, kisses starting at her breasts and working their way up to her throat while he reached between their bodies and adjusted himself. Both silken cockheads bumped against her in turn and all Thandie could do was lift her hips from the blanket in a desperate plea.

  Xander groaned, gliding back and forth against the wet cleft of her. Her back arched as he sank the upper dick in, little by little, an unbearable tease that ended when he withdrew and began anew with the lower cock instead, as if he couldn’t decide which he wanted to use.

  And since they were both so wondrously thick, it didn’t matter to her which he preferred, as long as he kept her filled with one of them. Anxious, Thandie locked one heel behind his ass and dragged until he gave another inch, the delicious stretch sending shivers up her spine.

  He laughed, low and husky against her throat, the sound wrapped in a moan. “Impatient, sweetheart?”

  “You’re killing me.”

  “Good things come to those who wait.”

  “Awful man.”

  Then he thrust, and her complaints died in her throat, the length filling her so completely her fingers curled into his shoulders. She nearly climaxed right then, gasping against his lips. Still slick with her, the fat underbelly of his upper cock bumped against her clit, sending little sparks of bliss coursing through her.

  Heaven.

  Xander found a steady rhythm, each stroke delivering twice the pleasure. Thandie writhed against the blanket, her toes curling tight.

  “You feel amazing.”

  “So do you.” Amazing didn’t feel like enough to describe how he felt. She reached between their bodies with one hand and took hold of his upper dick. The breath hissed between Xander’s teeth when she ran her thumb around his swollen cockhead.

  As though her touch spurred him on, Xander quickened his pace. He swapped again, withdrawing one dick in exchange for the other, and a part of her, a desperate part of her filled with the urgency to come, almost told him to hell with it—to use both at once. The blanket that had been beneath them bunched up under her back, mostly soft grass and clover under her bare skin.

  Thandie wrapped her arms around his neck, sailing away on an ocean of sheer bliss, so close to climax she could feel it settling in her limbs, tensing in her core, tightening every muscle with impending release. And it had to be doubly intense for him with his two cocks.

  “So fucking close. Gonna be… gonna be real messy, baby.”

  “Don’t care.”

  He shifted above her, making a final swap, his bottom dick once more plunged deep within her while the top slid against her swollen clit. It was enough to send her over the edge, thrusting her into sheer bliss, her body impossibly tight before the tension snapped and release shuddered through her limbs.

  The only word on her lips was his name.

  A hot jet of Xander’s seed spurted against her abdomen, the next shot reaching her breasts. The
rest was inside her, bathing her inner walls. Thandie didn’t care, floating on cresting waves that took her to new heights of ecstasy.

  Just when she started to come down from one orgasm, another began. Every time Xander moved, riding through the clenching pulses of her pussy for his own pleasure, her core shuddered around him anew.

  Xander groaned, the sound deep and long. His hips stilled and he sank down atop her with his face against her throat. Thandie managed one soothing stroke down his spine with her fingertips before her arms fell to her sides against the cool grass. They stayed like that for a long time, until their racing heartbeats slowed and their breaths evened out.

  “Are you sure you’re not an empath?” His question came suddenly, interrupting the silence.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Nah, I tested too low on those entrance exams they do, but it does run intermittently in my family. Why?”

  “You always seem to know what to say… Or what I need. It’s like you’re too good to be true. I spend half of our time together expecting to wake up.”

  “Funny, I think the same thing about you sometimes.”

  Xander lifted his head to look at her, but all Thandie could think about was kissing him again. She drew him down and took her time until at last they separated and he sprawled beside her on his back.

  “Think we can convince Jem to turn on the weather cycle?” She grinned and traced one finger down Xander’s sticky chest. “We could both use the cleanup.”

  “Never hurts to ask.”

  A bounty of misty rain fell from above, showering them at once. “The bio-farm is due for a simulated storm.”

  Thandie laughed. “Thanks, Jem.” When the rainfall intensified, she took Xander’s hand in hers and urged him to join her, as there were few things more satisfying after a sweaty round of lovemaking than a naked dash through the rain.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Jemison reached Kantarn’s system five days later, but a meteor storm delayed their arrival to the planet itself by another twenty-four hours. Even then, they were given the runaround for landing clearance. The whole situation only solidified Xander’s gut feeling that something was wrong.